


thin line

by ApatheticRobots



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Canon Compliant, Character Study, Introspection, Other, Some other characters show up but they all have one line or less so I didnt tag them, What makes a Greedling tick, other tags to be added later when i remember they exist, we are Ling stans first and people second
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:55:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22249774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApatheticRobots/pseuds/ApatheticRobots
Summary: It's a clear distinction. And then, sometimes, it's not.
Relationships: Greed & Ling Yao, Its romantic if you squint - Relationship
Comments: 2
Kudos: 57





	thin line

**Author's Note:**

> So turns out this is actually the second thing ive written for FMAB. my idiot ass forgot lmao. anyways i rewatched the series and remembered how much i fucking love all these characters and im crying about Greed & Ling again. they're definitely dating but this isn't explicitly romantic so i didnt put it under the ship tag-- might come back and change that later if i feel like it
> 
> 90% of my work contains the tag 'introspection' and its just bc i love characters and analyzing them im gay
> 
> also thanks 2 my friend Nova for beta'ing i would die for you

Ling knows where the line is drawn between him and Greed.

He knows which one of them is the source of which thoughts in their shared consciousness. He recognizes the difference between the two, man and homunculus. The distinction between them is clear.

Except, sometimes, it’s not.

Sometimes he hears a thought, he sees it pass him by among the torrent of souls, and he realizes he’s not sure which one of them it came from. It’s never anything big. It’s _I could go for something to eat right now_ or _this country’s a hot mess_ or something as simple as _ugh, it’s hot out._ And it’s not that big of a deal, it really isn’t. They’re pretty common thoughts-- it’s not surprising that he might not know which one of them came up with it.

But the fact that he might ever not immediately know the difference between them is terrifying. Because maybe the next time he can’t tell, it’s _not_ something so simple. Maybe it’ll be something like _I ought to just stab this guy to shut him up_ or _the whole world will bend under my rule_ and Ling doesn’t ever want to become something that could be mistaken for Greed.

So he makes sure to keep them separate. Even in situations where he may be able to exhibit a little control, he doesn’t. It’s either him or Greed. They don’t share. They have _nothing_ in common.

Then Greed remembers.

And things get a little bit hazier. 

They go on the run for a while. Ling manages to pry control back, but he still isn’t willing to let them go halfsies on it. Greed has no such inhibitions, so as soon as he can gain any semblance of control, Ling either shuts him down or lets him have it. But the homunculus is pretty unstable so the balance they built is incredibly off-kilter. 

Greed gets back control and attacks the Fuhrer of Amestris. Ling gets back control and, for the second time since he got here, collapses in exhaustion at the feet of Edward Elric. Then Greed takes control again, and they’ve got this little back and forth dance going. 

It isn’t the first time Greed willingly gives up control when they need Ling’s skills in the darkened forest outside the slum. Though it’s definitely the first time he does it so easily. And… the first time Ling can remember that he compliments him on his skillset. Greed is not easily impressed. So it’s worth something.

And then-- because Greed is nothing if not a dramatic son of a bitch-- they show up just in time to give a fancy comment about supporting the underdog and try to land a few hits on Wrath.

But everything goes wrong.

The Briggs soldier. A shame he got hurt, but Ling knew that if they paused to grieve, Wrath would take advantage of their hesitation.

And then Fu gets stabbed through.

And they’re moving before Ling can realize they both had the same thought at the same time, and now he’s in control, but only sort of because Greed is the one keeping them from going feral on Wrath’s ass for what he’s done. Greed is mad too-- but they can’t afford to lose their cool.

Ling cries.

He cries because he knows Wrath is still out there, because he couldn’t save Fu, because he gets shot in the head and is able to sit up with nothing but a discolored scar but Fu is lying there bloodied and dead. Because he finally got immortality and he couldn’t save his friend.

He asks for Greed’s power. Demands it. Greed obliges.

Ling is good at telling the difference between his thoughts and Greed’s. It’s a distinction that used to be important to him. But here, now, in the capital of this foreign country wrapped up in this plot so much bigger than he is, he finds he doesn’t really care. He needs Greed’s strength, Greed needs his skills. He needs the power, the impenetrability. Greed needs a chance to fight. Their skin is slate and hard as diamond, and they tear through the enemy forces as though cutting grass, and their teeth are bared and Ling hasn’t got a fucking clue who’s sinking their claws into a soldier’s neck or lifting another up by the shirt to slam him headlong into the concrete.

They are angry. And there are a whole lot of people here to take it out on.

They stand among the flames, the last man of the gathered forces dangling from an outstretched claw, breathing heavily with scarcely a dent made in their fury.

_Kid,_ Greed says, _breathe._

Ling sucks in a breath. Then immediately lets it out coughing, as he just inhaled a lungful of smoke. The haze they were in breaks, and it’s back to Greed and Ling, not whatever synchronised entity they were before.

Ling wonders if they could do it again.

But he doesn’t get a chance to ask. In his weariness Greed takes back control, and he keeps it while they fight Wrath and fight Greed’s father and Greed stands there, watching the Amestrians (plus one Ishvalan) cheer on Edward Elric as he punches God in the face. And Ling actually manages to convince him of something.

Then it all goes wrong. Again. There’s a hand sinking into his gut and suddenly he realizes he’d forgotten what it was like before he’d had Greed, before he’d shared his body with another being. Because he suddenly feels very very _empty._ He tries his damnedest to hold on, and he wishes they had more time because he’s _sure_ he could have figured out something, but he gets his physical form crumbling and a punch to the face for his efforts. And suddenly it is so, _so_ quiet in his mind, and it feels like his soul’s just been torn in half.

Greed was sure Ling didn’t need him. Ling is sure he does. But their reasoning is not the same.

_That’s just greedy!_ The Chang girl says, and he blinks. Realizes maybe Greed isn’t as gone as he seemed. He’s dead, of course, and that couldn’t be changed. People didn’t come back from the dead. And there’s still a hollow feeling in his gut where there should have been someone else. But that doesn’t mean Ling is alone. 

Lan Fan takes his hand.

Not alone in the slightest.

There was a fine line drawn between him and Greed. Ling knew which thoughts were his, and which belonged to the homunculus. But now he couldn’t tell, and he found that he was perfectly okay with that.

**Author's Note:**

> alphonse is my son but i just realized i didnt mention him once in here and im so sorry al oh my god ill write something for u soon--


End file.
